1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for preventing a coin drop mechanism and a coin box from burglary, more particularly to an apparatus for preventing a coin drop mechanism and a coin box which are installed on a front panel of a vending machine, slot machine and the like from burglary.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a fragmentary perspective exploded view of a coin drop mechanism 4 and a coin box 5 which are conventionally installed to a front panel 61 of a vending machine, slot machine, and the like 6. Two mounting plates 1 and 2 are respectively fixed to the peripheral edges of a first opening 62 and a second opening 63 of the front panel 61 by means of carriage bolts and nuts 3. The coin drop mechanism 4 has a plate member (4c) which is lockably installed to the mounting plate 1 by means of a locking tab (4b) of a rotatable lock device (4a) which is provided on the plate member (4c) in order to cover the first opening 62 of the front panel 61. The locking tab (4b) may be rotated to abut the rear side of the mounting plate 1, and a projection (4d) of the lower edge of the plate member (4c) is retained behind the mounting plate 1 in order to lock the coin drop mechanism 4 to the front panel 61.
The coin box 5 has a front wall (5d) which is provided with a locking tab (5b) of a lock device (5a) and a projection (5c) of the lower edge of the front wall (5d) in a similar manner to the plate member (4c) of the coin drop mechanism (4). Therefore, the front wall (5d) of the coin box 5 is lockably installed to the mounting plate 2 in a similar manner to the plate member (4c) of the coin drop mechanism 4 in order to cover the second opening 63 of the front panel 61. The coin box 5 has a top wall (5e) hinged to the upper edge of a rear wall (5f) of the coin box 5, as best illustrated in FIG. 2.
Because the bottom of the casing of the vending machine, slot machine and the like 6 is usually made of a thin plate, it may be easily broken by a burglar. Therefore, the coin drop mechanism 4 and the coin box 5 which are received in the casing of the vending machine 6 and the like may be exposed to the exterior of the vending machine 6 and the like without any protection after the bottom of the vending machine 6 and the like is broken. The coin drop mechanism 4 may thus be ruined and the coins in the coin box 5 may be stolen by the burglar. In addition, because the top wall (5e) of the coin box 5 is hinged to the coin box 5, the top wall (5e) will be rotated to open and the coins in the coin box 5 will roll out of the coin box 5 when the casing of the coin box 5 is pushed down to the ground.